Motorists facing three months of roadworks to smarten up Stone town centre

Motorists travelling around in a town near Stafford are facing temporary traffic signals for roadworks which will run for three months.

The programme is due to start on Monday July 13 and will see long awaited improvements carried out in Stone town centre including repairs to kerbs, footways, drains and installation of tactile crossing points followed by resurfacing in the autumn.

The work will take in several streets including Stafford Street, Crown Street, Newcastle Street, Station Road, Granville Square, Christchurch Way and Radford Street. It is scheduled to be completed by October 23.

For work to take place safely, temporary traffic signals will be in place and manned during working hours between 7am and 5pm on weekdays. When resurfacing takes place from September 7 to October 16, some nighttime closures will be needed between 7pm and 6am. Locations and timings of the closures will be publicised closer to the time.

•You can find out more about planning applications and planned roadworks where you live by visiting publicnoticeportal.uk/express-and-star

Staffordshire County Council’s highways boss Councillor Patrick Allen said: “These are busy roads around Stone so this scheme is important as it will bring huge improvements for motorists in a thriving town centre.

“Our project team carried out thorough design and preparation works earlier this year. This ensures that we have a high-quality scheme that it can be carried out as quickly as possible.

“Some of this scheme has been scheduled over the schools summer holiday to minimise disruption. We understand that with any traffic management however, particularly on such a busy route, there will inevitably be some delays for which we would like to apologise for in advance. We’re always grateful for people’s understanding wherever we’re carrying out improvements.”

Community leaders in Stone which is part of Staffords borough have opposed proposals for the town to become part of a news Staffordshire council as part of a local government shake-up.

Stafford Borough Council has backed plans for a new authority covering the six southern district and including Stone. But Staffordshire Moorlands District Council suggested a northern Staffordshire council, with he Newcastle Borough and Stoke-on-Trent, which could include Stone and its surrounding villages, separating them from Stafford.